West Palm Beach, Fla. – January 22, 2019 – It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Jim D. Machen, CPA, Partner Emeritus, of Templeton & Company.
Jim was one of the founding members of Machen Powers Disque & Boyle Chartered, along with Ray Powers, Philip Disque and J. Vince Boyle. This CPA firm was founded in September of 1982 with offices in Boca Raton, Vero Beach and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Jim was the partner in charge of the Boca Raton office. In 2005 Jim formed James Machen Chartered, which he combined with Templeton & Company in January of 2008.
Jim had an illustrious career and served as the trusted advisor to many well-known community leaders. Among his clients were H. Wayne Huizenga Sr. and his family and business interests. He handled Mr. Huizenga’s sports teams including the Miami Dolphins, the Florida Marlins and the Florida Panthers as well as other business ventures.
The thing that truly set Jim apart and made him unique was the genuine interest and affection that he expressed for his clients. This was very evident in the personal interest that he took in their families and he was there for the birth of grandchildren as well as for the passing of their parents. He expressed the same interest in his employees and their families and treated them as his own family. It is a testament to Jim that his clients as well as his employees remained with him for many years. This in addition to his keen business sense and tax expertise was the key to his success.
Jim was a fun loving guy with many friends and he loved a good joke. He had an infectious laugh and immediately made people feel comfortable. He had a great sense of style and art and also wrote beautifully. Born and raised in Oklahoma and a proud graduate of the University of Oklahoma, he had minored in English and we always joked that his were the best written letters ever received by the IRS. Jim started his career at Arthur Andersen in Oklahoma, at a time when men had to wear top hats, he went on to become a partner at Coopers & Lybrand where he ran their Phoenix office tax practice.
“Jim was a great practitioner whose service to clients was impeccable, but he was an even more wonderful person and will be sorely missed by all of us at the firm,” said Steven Templeton, President, Templeton & Company, LLP.
To honor Jim’s memory, the Machen family suggests that contributions can be made to the Hospice of Santa Barbara, California.
About Templeton & Company
Founded in 1990, Templeton & Company, LLP is a professional services firm providing comprehensive business solutions to help its clients discover and realize their vision for success. Located in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, Fla., the firm provides consulting services to businesses in multiple industries with a focus on audit, tax, technology, accounting, succession strategy, and business valuations. Templeton & Company is also an independent member of the BDO Alliance USA, a national network of leading CPA firms. For more information about Templeton, its people, services, experience, and alliances, visit www.templetonco.com.
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